An Ortigas Lunch Guide

Breakfast & Convenience Part I: 7-11

Yes, I’ve noticed that it’s hard to eat breakfast in Ortigas. It’s hard to pay a lot of cash for your first meal of the day while knowing that you’d still be paying for the next two meals. And even though they say that you should eat breakfast like a king, it’s hard to get a king-sized breakfast at Ortigas without paying a royal price. That’s why most office workers opt to eat their breakfast at home. Not only is it time-saving, but it’s also cash-efficient as well.

In any case, you’d have to admit that there are times when you’d still feel a bit hungry after breakfast. And when that comes, it’s almost a certain thought that you’d want to buy something cheap and tasty while not compromising your lunch-money. And so, it’s a common knowledge for office workers to head on to their nearest 7-11 or Ministop for a quick breakfast.

Okay, here’s the thing. These two convenience stores offer a lot of choices when it comes to breakfast. However, let’s focus on 7-11 first. I’ll be posting my review on Ministop a wee-bit later.

Here’s what you can eat for breakfast at 7-11:

The Stuffed Pan de Sal

Caution: the stuffing is FREAKIN' HOT

This is one of the cheapest breakfast items you can get. Usually priced around 15 pesos a pop, this pandesal comes in a variety of stuffing such as: bacon & cheese, tuna cheesemelt, chicken teriyaki, pork adobo, Christmas ham, tuna pimiento, cheeseburger and hotdog balls (strange, the site didn’t mention that they offer corned beef pandesal-I loved that shit).

The Breakfast Sandwich

Muffins... mmmm...

Okay, this is new to me. It reminds me of McDonald’s breakfast muffins. In any case, these “sandwiches” come in bacon or ham. There’s scrambled eggs and melted cheese to go along with the filling, so yeah, it’s basically a 7-11 version of the McMuffin. In any case, I’ve yet to find out how much a piece costs.

The Classic Sandwich

Muffins... mmmm.... classic....

These sandwiches are your traditional clubhouse type of sandwiches. They’re usually priced at around 20 pesos a piece, so it’s not that bad. They come in clubhouse, tuna, chicken, and spiced ham. You’re supposed to heat them once you bought them, but most consumers (like me) prefer these sandwiches cold.

The Rice Meal Express

Manang, este Miss, meh tapsi pa kayo?

This is 7-11’s take on a carinderia’s -silog recipes. They’re priced at around 40-50 pesos and you could choose a variety of prefixes that completes the -silog­ noun. These prefixes are: Longga(dog), Tapa, Tocino, Hot(dog). The servings are quite kiddie-sized, so it’s best that you just get a fresh -silog­ at your nearest canteen.

The Pinoy Rice Meal

Not my first choice.

Each meal is priced around 45 pesos and you could choose from Chicken Afritada, Beef Pares, and Chicken Sisig. The serving is quite small, and the taste isn’t something to write about. Like the Rice Meal Express, I suggest you just eat at the nearest canteen.

The Asian Rice Meal

Asian? Rice? sounds redundant. (hey, have a sense of humor)

The same with the other 7-11 Rice Meals, only that these ones are available in Korean Beef, Pork Yakiniku, Chicken Curry and Beef Teriyaki. Just refer to my prior reviews on 7-11 Rice Meals.

The Siopao

Warning: Do not mention any cat jokes while eating.

Okay, the 7-11 Siopao is a much better choice than the rice meal. For 30 pesos, you can already get a big chunk of stuffed rice-bread. It’s heavy and it’s tasty, and you can choose either Asado, Bola-Bola, or a mixed version of the two. And oh, there’s the occasional promotional stuffing like the tuna siopao, so yeah, check those out too.

So these are a few items you can eat at 7-11 for your breakfast meal. I know I’ve left out some other food items like the pizza, the siomai, the hotdog sandwiches and the pasta. I left them out because I don’t think most pinoys would be eating these for breakfast. So hey, sue me if I’m wrong. In any case, if you’re on a budget, I suggest you grab the pandesal or the siopao for your breakfast. So till then, happy eating!